Young activists highlight impact of climate change on

human rights in Somalia

TRT: 4:39

SOURCE: UNSOM Strategic Communication and Public Affairs

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI NATURAL SOUND

DATELINE: 29-31 AUGUST 2023 - MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot – A human rights officer conducting a session at a three-day

training on climate change and human rights.
2. Close up shot – A participant taking notes.
3. Med shot – A human rights officer conducting a session.
4. Close up – A participant attending the training.
5. Med shot – Participants attending the training.
6. Med shot – Participants attending the training.
7. Wide shot –Abdilatif Hussein Omar explaining during a group session.
8. Close up –Abdilatif Hussein Omar explaining during a group session.
9. Med shot – A participant explaining during a group session.
10. Med shot – Participants during group work.
11.SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Abdilatif Hussein Omar, Director of Action for
Environment
“Floods which are a result of climate change destroy farms and damage
crops which leads to food insecurity and that is the reason why most of the
people in IDP camps are given nutritional food in order to treat
malnutrition.”

12. Med shot – Participants attending the training.

13. Close up shot – A participant attending the training.
14. Med shot – Participants attending the training.
15. Wide shot – The Chief of UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group,
Kirsten Young, conducts a session.
16. Med shot – Participants attending the training.
17. Med shot – The Chief of UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group,
Kirsten Young, holding paintings.
18. Wide shot – Participants attending the training.

19.SOUNDBITE: (English) Kirsten Young, Chief of UNSOM Human Rights and

Protection Group
“What we have focused on very much was the type of obligations that the
government has with respect to human rights. So many of the international
obligations that they have committed involve children, economic, social
and cultural rights, and civil and political rights. All these have climate
change elements to them.”

20. Wide shot – Participants in a group discussion.

21. Close up shot – Participants in a group discussion.
22. Close up shot – A participant speaking at the training.
23. Med shot – Participants discussing at the training.
24.SOUNDBITE: (English) Kirsten Young, Chief of UNSOM Human Rights and
Protection Group
 “Bringing these two worlds together is, I think, absolutely fundamental to
understand each other and how to leverage the expertise of each of the
groups and be able to amplify their work.”

25. Wide shot – Ahmed Abdi Osman ‘Farole’, Climate Change Officer in the
Federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change speaking at the
training.
26. Med shot – Climate Change Officer in the Federal Ministry of Environment
and Climate Change Osman speaking.
27. Med shot – Participants taking notes.
28. Wide shot – Participants taking notes.
29.SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Ahmed Abdi Osman ‘Farole’, Climate Change Officer
in Somalia’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
“The ministry has plans to initiate climate and adaptation programs on
environmental conservations and creating awareness on how people can
be prepared to live with the recurring climate change disasters.”

30.SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Suweyda Mohamed Abdi, Chairperson of Green

Light Association
“On our environmental campaigns, we have made great strides and
initiated weekly clean-ups at Lido Beach, and this has been very successful.”

31. Med shot – Abdinasir Abdulkadir Mohamed, a participant, displaying a

painting.
32. Close up shot – A painting.
33.SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Abdinasir Abdulkadir Mohamed, a participant
“I use my profession as an artist to do paintings that can be used to create
environmental awareness and urge people to protect the environment.”

34. Med shot – Participant Mohamed receives a certificate from the Chief of
UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group, Kirsten Young.
35. Close up shot – A participant receives a certificate.
36. Wide shot – Chief of UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group Young
fits a crown on participant Tasniim’s head.
37. Med shot – Participant Tasniim receives a certificate from the Chief of
UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group, Kirsten Young.
38. Close up shot – A Certificate.
 39. Med shot – A participant receives a certificate.

Young activists highlight impact of climate change on

human rights in Somalia

Mogadishu, 31 August 2023 – At a United Nations-backed gathering in the Somali capital today,
young activists highlighted the severe impact of climate change on Somalia and called for more
effective action to combat the negative impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups across
the country.

“Floods which are a result of climate change destroy farms and damage crops, which leads to
food insecurity, and that is the reason why most of the people in IDP (internally displaced
people) camps are given nutritional food in order to treat malnutrition,” said Abdilatif Hussein
Omar, a Director of Action for Environment, a civil society organisation.

The young activist spoke at a three-day training on the nexus between human rights and
climate change, held in Mogadishu and organised by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia
(UNSOM).

“What we have focused on very much was the type of obligations that the government has with
respect to human rights. So many of the international obligations that they have committed
involve children, economic, social and cultural rights, and civil and political rights. All these have
climate change elements to them,” said the Chief of UNSOM’s Human Rights and Protection
Group, Kirsten Young.

The 22 attendees were primarily made up of university students and academics and civil society
representatives studying or working on climate change issues.

“Bringing these two worlds together is, I think, absolutely fundamental to understand each
other and how to leverage the expertise of each of the groups and be able to amplify their
work,” said Ms. Young, who also serves as the Representative to Somalia of the Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Range of topics

Over the three days, the participants focused on a range of human rights topics interlinked with
climate change, such as the right to a healthy environment. They examined how changing
climate patterns lead to drought, floods and desertification, which, in turn, leads to food
insecurity, conflict over resources and displacement – with these consequently affecting
Somalis’ right to life, health and food, as well as the standards of living for individuals and
communities.

The training was also part of a wider effort to help create a vibrant cohort of young Somali
environmental activists.
“The next step forward is actually to create a network of young climate activists that are coming
from different sectors, from the academia, civil societies, media, and student clubs so that they
can continue advocating for effective climate change response in relation to human rights
issues,” said Abdifatah Hassan Ali, a Human Rights Officer with UNSOM.

The Federal Government of Somalia was represented at the event. Speaking on the sidelines of
the gathering, Ahmed Abdi Osman ‘Farole,’ a Climate Change Officer from the Ministry of
Environment and Climate Change, noted that Somalia is one of the countries most affected by
climate change, but plans are underway to address the impacts.

“The ministry has plans to initiate climate and adaptation programmes on environmental
conservation and creating awareness on how people can be prepared to live with the recurring
climate change disasters,” Mr. Osman said.

Some of the participants noted that the training session would complement some of the
advocacy already being carried out by young Somalis.

Suweyda Mohamed Abdi, the Chairperson of the Green Light Association, another organisation
that promotes environmental conservation and sustainable development in Somalia, said her
organisation is actively involved in activities to reverse the effects of climate change through
awareness campaigns in schools and tree-planting exercises.

“On our environmental campaigns we have made great strides and initiated weekly clean-ups
at Lido Beach and this has been very successful,” she said.

Another participant, Abdinasir Abdulkadir Mohamed, who combines his environmentalism with
his work, said, “I use my profession as an artist to do paintings that can be used to create
environmental awareness and urge people to protect the environment.”

Climate shocks

Somalia has been experiencing a humanitarian crisis due to climate shocks which have led to
widespread drought and flooding. Some eight million people are in need of urgent assistance,
with 6.5 million expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity and 1.3 million displaced
due to conflict or climatic shocks.

Somalia’s 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan seeks $2.6 billion to assist 7.6 million vulnerable
people across the country. However, the plan has received $851 million in funds as of 1 August,
representing just 32.7 per cent of the total sought.
END